By DAVID LEGGAT
North Shore did themselves two favours with their best win of the season at Allen Hill Stadium yesterday - moving to the top of the national league table and giving their goal difference a decent boost.
The 5-1 win over Manawatu, combined with Napier City Rovers' 1-1 draw against
third-placed Miramar Rangers, bumped their differential to a healthy plus 18.
It also enabled the team, back in the top flight this season, to give themselves a decent shout of finishing the round robin in first place, and with it the accompanying two bites at making the grand final.
The round-robin winner faces the second-placed team in the playoffs, the loser then having a second crack at the winner of the third-fourth place sudden-death eliminator.
It could yet be close. Miramar have a chance to nudge Shore to third, depending on results in the final fortnight.
The neutral observer could not grumble at the entertainment yesterday. Shore were 2-0 up by halftime, a firm Julian Sills' header and a close-range nod-in from Chris Mooney laying the foundation.
Manawatu had their share of chances. Sills, who impressed at the back, cleared off the Shore line in the opening minutes; Shore goalkeeper Simon Eaddy acrobatically tipped a swerving Ian Robinson drive on to the crossbar early in the second half; and just before the end they probably should have had a penalty when Tristan McCormick - who had scored their only goal - was clattered from behind.
But Shore had the classier players throughout the park. Leigh Kenyon buzzed about intelligently in the midfield, and Mark Beldham gave Manawatu's defenders a headache with a scintillating display.
Mooney effectively decided the game with a good header from a fine Kenyon cross midway through the second half; Beldham was rewarded when he cleverly finished a good move involving Mooney and substitute Tim Stevens two minutes from the end; and captain Neil Sykes rounded things off from close range from Beldham's set-up.
"I don't think we played anywhere near our potential, but after Thursday's disappointing loss to Central it was important we won," Sykes said. "We're creating five or six chances but we haven't been putting them away."
Until yesterday, that is.
Elsewhere, the top four in the Southern Trust-sponsored league was all but finalised. Tauranga almost certainly confirmed their season will get an extension with a point in a 1-1 draw at Uni-Mount Wellington. Andrew Griffith gave the Mount an early lead, but Scott Pilcher equalised just before the break. Paul Bunbury's second-half potential game-winner direct from a corner for the Mount was ruled out for a handball.
To push Tauranga out of the playoffs, Canterbury - 2-1 winners over bottom-placed Waitakere City - would need to bag 17 goals in their last two games and have Tauranga lose twice.
Central United lost 4-1 in Dunedin, Daniel Aliaga getting their only goal.
By DAVID LEGGAT
North Shore did themselves two favours with their best win of the season at Allen Hill Stadium yesterday - moving to the top of the national league table and giving their goal difference a decent boost.
The 5-1 win over Manawatu, combined with Napier City Rovers' 1-1 draw against
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